The Al-Qadim Netbook

Chapter 10: Glossary of Arabian Nights Terms

From: Stacy Stroud
RELIGION
Ahl al-Kitab: "People of the Book"; refers collectively to those non-Muslims who have received some part of Allah's written revelation (i.e., Jews and Christians, although Hindus are included by some because of their Vedas).

Alim: One of the class of Muslim religious scholars--the "guardians of tradition." The plural is ulama.

Allah: The deity of Islam (as well as of Judaism and Christianity). The word means simply "the god" in Arabic, indicating that no other god exists.

Ayatollah: Shi'a title for a highly esteemed religious teacher and administrator.

Baraka: Blessing, the condition of being blessed. Baraka includes a certain amount of charisma as well as an ability to pass on good fortune (and sometimes physical healing) to others.

Caliph: The (theoretical) ruler of all Muslims, successor to Muhammad and "Commander of the Faithful."

Da'is: An initiate of the Isma'ili cult.

Dervish: A wandering or monastic Sufi. Also called a fakir.

Dhimmi: "Protected" non-Muslims.

Din: "Faith," a common component of names, such as the well-known "Aladdin" (a contraction of "Ala ad-Din," or "Glory of the Faith").

Eid al-Adha: "Feast of the Sacrifice," a festival held on the last day of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

Eid al-Fitr: "Feast of the Fastbreaking," a festival held on the first day of the month of Shawwal, which follows Ramadan, the month of fasting.

Fakir: A wandering or monastic Sufi. Also called a dervish.

Feda'is: A suicide assassin for the radical Isma'ili cult; the plural is fedayin.

Hadith: The body of Islamic tradition, consisting of those sayings and actions of the Prophet which have been handed down to the present along a chain of trusted witnesses. Hadith is consulted when the Qur'an is silent on some matter of law or custom.

Hajj: The pilgrimage to Mecca which every adult male Muslim must make once in his life if at all possible.

Hajji: One who has completed the hajj, as indicated by the wearing of a green turban. It is a title of high honor.

Halal: Rules similar to Jewish kosher law, governing the slaughter of animals and prohibiting pork to Muslims.

Hazrat: Adjective meaning "holy."

Hijra: Also Hegira. The emigration of Muhammad and his closest followers from Mecca to Yathrib (Medina) in the year 622 of the Christian calendar. This event is the starting-point for the Muslim calendar.

Houri: One of the beautiful and seductive maidens who will attend the men who achieve Paradise, according to the Qur'an. An earthly woman who is judged to be extremely beautiful and alluring may also be called a houri.

Iblis: The name of the Evil One, according to Islam. Either an angel or a jinni (the accounts are not clear) who refused to bow down before Adnan (Adam) and was cast out of Allah's presence to become His great Adversary, Shaitan or Satan.

Illahi: Adjective meaning "divine."

Imam: In Sunni Islam, the prayer leader of a mosque. In Shi'a Islam, one of the line of true caliphs, the rightful successors of Muhammad's son-in-law `Ali.

Islam: "Submission"; the name for the religion founded by the Prophet Muhammad. Its adherents are called Muslims.

Isma'ili: A minority cult of Shi'a Islam, known as the "Seveners" because they reject the last five caliphs accepted by most Shi'i ("Twelvers"), declaring that Isma'il was the seventh and last true caliph and imam. They seek to replace the caliphate with a communal system, and are not above using extreme means to achieve their revolutionary aims.

Jahiliya: "Age of Ignorance," a reference to the time before Islam.

Jihad: "Struggle," the effort to spread Islam throughout the world. Most commonly refers to the most spectacular form of that effort, the all-out holy war.

Kaaba: The temple in Mecca which Muhammad stripped of its idols and dedicated to Allah. Enshrined in the Kaaba is a cube of black stone which is said to have fallen to earth from the hand of Allah. It was found by Ibrahim and Isma'il (Abraham and Ishmael), who established the shrine.

Kafir: An unbeliever, one who is not a Muslim.

Khawarij: "Seceder"; a member of an early, puritanical Muslim sect which wholeheartedly embraced jihad.

Kismet: Fate or destiny, the force which orders events in accordance with the will of Allah. One's fate is generally held to be inescapable; it is how one reacts to kismet that determines one's moral standing.

Mahdi: A messianic figure awaited by adherents to some sects of Islam.

Minaret: The tower of a mosque, used for the Call to Prayer.

Mosque: A place of common prayer for Muslims.

Mubarak: Adjective meaning "blessed." Occasionally used in names.

Muezzin: The individual who summons faithful Muslims to prayer at the appointed times.

Mullah: Unofficial title of honor for an esteemed community leader and teacher.

Mumin: Adjective meaning "faithful," often used in names. The plural, muminin, is often used to refer to "the Faithful" as a whole.

Murid: A disciple or follower, often used of Sufis who follow a particular master.

Murshid: A master or guide, often used of Sufi leaders.

Muslim: "One who submits," an adherent of Islam.

Nabi: A prophet.

Qur'an: The holy book of Islam; also spelled "Koran." The original Qur'an is said to be kept in Heaven; its words were transmitted to Muhammad by the angel Jibril (Gabriel). It is the final revelation of Allah, the completion and correction of the revelations given to the Jews and Christians (which were distorted by human copyists).

Ramadan: The ninth month of the Muslim calendar, during which good Muslims are required to abstain from food and sexual intercourse between sunrise and sunset.

Shaitan: "Adversary," the Arabic equivalent of the Hebrew "Satan." Name for Iblis after his fall.

Shi'a: The principal minority sect of Islam, who regard the heirs of `Ali as the true caliphs; they reject the other caliphs as well as the Sunni political and legal institutions.

Shi'at `Ali: "Party of `Ali," the group which supported Muhammad's son-in-law `Ali rather than his father-in-law Abu Bakr as caliph after the Prophet's death. The Shi'a branch of Islam is descended from them.

Sidi: "Lord," sometimes used as an Islamic equivalent for the European title "Saint."

Sufi: A follower of Islam's mystic tradition. Like mystics of other faiths, Sufis seek insight into Truth through meditation and isolation from worldly concerns. Truly dedicated Sufis are known as dervishes or fakirs.

Sunna: The practice or tradition of the community of believers.

Sunni: The majority branch of Islam, which recognizes the line of caliphs beginning with Abu Bakr and continuing to the present day as legitimate; they developed the body of orthodox Muslim tradition (sunna) for which their group is named and which distinguishes them from the Shi'a branch.

Surah: One of the sections into which the Qur'an is divided.

Twelvers: Major division of the Shi'a branch of Islam. They recognize twelve legitimate caliphs or imams in the line of `Ali. The line then died out, but many Twelvers believe that the true imam will one day reveal himself as the Mahdi.

Umma: "Community." Used to refer to Muslims as a whole, though it can also refer to other kinds of communities.
ARABIAN NIGHTS TERMS: POLITICS AND SOCIETY
`Abbasid: The dynasty, descended from Muhammad's uncle `Abbas, which has held the caliphate for the past fifty years. Their capital city is Baghdad.

Aghlabid: The dynasty which recently took power in Tunisia, Sicily, and eastern Algeria. Their rule is semi-autonomous, but they acknowledge the supremacy of the caliph in Baghdad.

Aksakal: "White beard"; a tribal or village elder.

Batir: A thief, especially a horse or camel thief.

Bedouin: A nomad desert tribesman of Arabia; Bedouins live by hunting and raiding.

Beni: Term meaning "sons of...." Applied collectively to a tribe, group, or family which is descended from a well-known or highly-esteemed ancestor. (The Jews, for example, are often referred to by Muslims as the Beni Israel.)

Berber: A desert tribesman of the Sahara in North Africa.

Cadi: A magistrate or judge.

Dar al-Harb: "House of War"; term used for that part of the world which has yet to be brought under Muslim rule.

Dar al-Islam: "House of Submission"; term used for that part of the world which has already been brought under Muslim rule.

Daylami: A people from the mountainous region of northwest Persia, south of the Caspian. Noted as rebellious and tough, and often employed as mercenary infantry. Efforts to convert them to Islam have as yet met with little success.

Diwan: Literally, "list." From there, the meaning evolved to describe a collection or anthology of writings, then an office or government department which might make use of such a collection; and then a sofa ("divan") such as might be found in an office.

Effendi: A title of respect, often used by a servant or slave to refer to a master.

Emir: Variant of 'amir (see the Military list) used for military commanders who rule their own provinces.

Eunuch: A castrated slave, generally employed as a harem guard.

Fellah: A farmer; the plural is fellahin.

Hakim: A "sage"--a wise scholar, physician, and spiritual guide. Often a wanderer. The ideal Muslim intellectual.

Harem: Collective term for the wives and concubines of a man. Also, the area of a ruler's or rich man's dwelling (the poor cannot afford such luxuries) in which the women are secluded.

Idrisid: The ruling dynasty of Morocco. The Idrisids do not consider themselves vassals of the `Abbasid caliph in Baghdad.

Maghrib: Northwest Africa, including Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Also Mogreb.

Malik: Arabic for "king." The fashionable term for a monarch at present is sultan, which actually means "authority."

Mawla: A "client" people, subservient to and protected by a conquering Arab tribe. The Persians could be considered such, at present.

Moor: A person of mixed Arab and Berber descent.

Mufti: An expert legal advisor.

Ra'is: "Head"; the mayor or civil administrator of a city, or the captain of a ship. Alternative title: vali or wali.

Sayyid: A person of noble blood, usually one of the Prophet's tribe and family. An alternative term is sharif.

Shah: Persian term for a ruler or king.

Shah-in-shah: Persian term for an emperor or high king.

Shari'a: "Straight path"; Islamic law as laid down in the Qur'an. Laws and customs not specifically given in the Qur'an, but traced to the sayings or actions of Muhammad, are classed as hadith.

Sharif: A person of noble blood, usually one of the Prophet's tribe and family. An alternative term is sayyid.

Sheikh: A tribal or village leader, or a Sufi teacher.

Sidi: A term of respect, roughly equivalent to "sir" or "lord." Used very frequently when speaking to social superiors.

Sultan: The ruler of a state or city-state, roughly equivalent to a European king and owing allegiance only to the caliph. The feminine is sultana. From the Arabic for "authority."

Tuareg: One of a desert-dwelling people of North Africa, noted for their pride and secretiveness, and for the blue veils worn by their menfolk.

Turcoman: A Turkish Muslim (not so common at this time, since Asia Minor is held by the (Christian) Byzantine Empire).

Umayyad: The dynasty of caliphs which ruled from the murder of `Ali in 39 AH (AD 661) until their overthrow by the `Abbasids in 128 AH (AD 750). A Umayyad "caliph" still rules Muslim Spain.

Vali: Arabic for "ruler." Sometimes used instead of ra'is to denote the administrator of a city. Alternative spelling wali.

Vizier: An official adviser to a ruler. Also spelled "vizir" or "wazir."

ARABIAN NIGHTS TERMS: FOOD AND DRINK
Berkouk: A pellet of sweetened rice.

Couscous: A lamb stuffed with almonds and raisins and roasted whole.

Fatta: A dish of eggs and carrots.

Qumiz: Fermented mare's milk, drunk by desert horsemen.

Sherbet: A drink of watered fruit juice and sugar.

Tharid: A dish of meat and bread in broth; favorite food of the Prophet.

CLOTHING AND ORNAMENTATION

Agal: The cord used to bind a headcloth in place.

Attar: An essential oil made from flower petals (especially roses). Also, a seller of perfumes and medicines.

Burnouse: A cloaklike garment with a hood attached.

Caftan: A long gown with sleeves, usually made of silk.

Chador: The all-enveloping veiled dress for women, rarely seen in the 800s.

Djellaba: A hooded, baggy robe for outdoor wear.

Djibbah: A topcoat.

Fez: Felt cap in the shape of a flat-topped cone, named for the city in Morocco where these caps are made.

Haik: The combined headcloth and face mask worn in the desert.

Henna: A thorn-shrub and the reddish stain made from it.

Kaffiyeh: The shawl worn over the head (instead of a turban) by Bedouin men, and by many Muslim women.

Kohl: Antimony powder used by Middle Eastern women to darken the area around the eyes. From this, somehow, is derived the word "alcohol" (al-kohl).

Paranja: A woman's loose dress.

Tiraz: A cloth armband decorated with writing (often religious); sometimes used as an amulet.

Turban: Traditional headgear of city-dwelling Arab males, consisting of a strip of cloth wound repeatedly around a small cap.

Yashmak: A woman's veil.

TRAVEL--TRANSPORT, SHELTER, ETC.

Arwat: An inn.

Bassourab: A hooped camel tent in which women travel.

Caravanserai: A "motel" for those traveling by caravan.

Casbah: In North African towns, a citadel and the area around it.

Dar: A house.

Dhow: A sailing ship.

Djemel: A baggage camel.

Felucca: An oared ship.

Girba: A waterskin; four are usually carried on each camel in a caravan.

Howdah: A seat for riding on the back of a camel or an elephant.

Khurjin: Saddlebags.

Krak: A castle or citadel.

Mahout: An elephant driver.

Mehara: A finely-bred racing camel; the plural is mehari.

Mehariste: One who rides a mehara.

Palanquin: A curtained litter on poles, carried by hand.

Rabat-bashi: An innkeeper.

Serai: A shelter; thus, a "caravanserai" is a shelter for caravans.

Yurt: A semipermanent tent used by desert-dwellers.

TERRAIN AND WEATHER

Kavir: Salt desert.

Sahra: Wilderness (origin of "Sahara," perhaps?).

Sirocco: The south wind, or a windstorm coming from the south.

Tel: A hill.

Wadi: A river or stream, or the empty bed thereof.

ARABIAN NIGHTS TERMS: ARMS, ARMOR, AND MILITARY TERMS
Aina: Circular plate reinforcement for light body armor (from the Persian word for "mirror").

Al-Qutun: Padded cloth body armor (from the Arabic for "cotton").

`Amir: A military officer, roughly equivalent to a European knight. A city garrison is generally headed by an `amir.

Automatic Fire: Not an Arabic term, obviously, but it is an Arabic concept. "Automatic fire" is a variant of Greek fire (see below) which can be prepared so as to ignite spontaneously in the presence of sufficient light, heat, or moisture.

Ayyar: A band of independent warriors or adventurers. Though all Ayyar claim to follow an honor code called futuwwa, they actually range in character from chivalrous brotherhoods to gangs of street brawlers.

Char aina: A segmented plate corselet, worn over mail (from the Persian for "four mirrors").

Corsair: A privateer or pirate.

Furusiyya: Horsemanship; military/hunting skills.

Futuwwa: The honor code embraced by the Ayyar bands.

Ghazi: A warrior of Islam; one who does battle for the faith.

Ghulam: A slave-soldier in the service of a ruler.

Goum: A light cavalryman.

Greek Fire: Highly inflammable liquid whose flames cannot be extinguished with water.

Jambiya: A double-edged dagger.

Jihad: In the military sense, a war fought to spread Muslim rule.

Kontos: Greek (Byzantine) term for a long spear sometimes used by Arab warriors.

Mamluk: Another term for a slave-soldier.

Mujahed: Another term for a holy warrior, one who engages in jihad.

Nawak: A type of crossbow.

Pasdar: A guard. The plural is pasdaran.

Qalachur: A curved, two-edged longsword, Asiatic in origin.

Qaws ar-Rikab: A stirrup crossbow.

Razzia: A tribal raid, usually for livestock.

Rumh: A short lance or long spear.

Saif: A straight longsword used by early Arab troops.

Scimitar: A short, curved sword with the convex edge sharpened.

Sejah: An army.

Spahi: A horseman of the desert tribes.

Tufenk: Also called a "fire-siphon," this is a weapon designed to spray flaming liquids at an enemy. Tufenks range from simple blowpipes to primitive pump-action "flamethrowers."

MAGIC AND MAGICAL CREATURES

Feisha: An amulet or charm against evil.

Ghul: A jinni of the weakest sort; the feminine is ghuleh. Ghuls inhabit the desert wastes and relish the taste of human flesh.

'Ifrit: A very powerful and fearsome sort of jinni; the feminine is 'ifriteh and the plural is afarit. Most afarit are evil, hunting humans for food and sport.

Jann: A jinni of the most common sort, more powerful than a ghul but less powerful than an 'ifrit or marid. Most of the benevolent jinn are of this type.

Jinni: A nonhuman spirit-being created from smokeless fire. The plural is jinn and the feminine, jinniyeh. The jinn are free-willed beings just as humans are; many are evil, but some are good Muslims. King Suleiman (Solomon) imprisoned many of the jinn by magic; the remainder now roam the lonely and forsaken places of the world. There are many races of jinn, including the ghuls, jann, afarit (singular 'ifrit), marid, and si'lat.

Marid: A jinni of the most powerful sort; the feminine is maridah. Most marid are indifferent to humanity at best and downright evil at worst. They are to be avoided at all costs.

Nesnas: A sorcerous abomination resembling a man cut in half lengthwise.

Pahari: A sea-dwelling race whose members may take the forms of fish, humans, or merfolk.

Peri: A beautiful female spirit-being in Persian legend. The peri may be jinniyeh under another name, or else another sort of creature entirely.

Rakshasa: Name by which the evil jinn are known in India.

Seal of Suleiman: Six-pointed star (Star of David) used by sha'ir to ward off or imprison jinn.

Sha'ir: A practitioner of sihr, or true magic (as opposed to a mere alchemist or amulet-seller). Though there have been good sha'ir (notably Suleiman himself), most are regarded with distrust because of their dealings with the jinn (a practice discouraged by the Prophet).

Sihr: True magic, as opposed to mere alchemy or amulet-carving. Sihr is commonly supposed to involve frequent trafficking with the jinn, and often does. Practitioners of sihr are known as sha'ir.

Si'lat: A race of female jinn, reputedly of great magical power. The si'lat are under a curse which keeps them permanently locked in the forms of withered hags.

Simurgh: The "king of birds," a fabulous avian creature of legend.

Yaksha: Name by which the good jinn are known in India.

ARABIAN NIGHTS TERMS: THE MONETARY SYSTEM
Danaq: A small silver coin equal to 10 fals, one-fifth of a dirham, or one one-hundredth of a dinar. The plural is also danaq.

Dinar: A gold coin equal to 20 daharim, 100 danaq, or 1000 fals. The plural is dinars.

Dirham: Standard coin, made of silver. Equal to 50 fals, 5 danaq, or one-twentieth of a dinar. The plural is daharim.

Fals: A copper coin worth one-tenth of a danaq, one-fiftieth of a dirham, or one one-thousandth of a dinar. The plural is also fals.

Habba: A very small copper coin worth one-half fals. Seldom used.

Kirat: A bronze coin equal to one-half danaq (ten fals). Seldom used.

UNITS OF MEASURE

Cubit: A unit of measure equal to the distance from one's elbow to one's middle fingertip (about 18 to 22 inches).

Dirham: Unit of weight equal to about 1/8 of an ounce, presumably the weight of a dirham coin. The plural, again, is daharim.

Makkuk: A unit of measure for salt, equal to about one-third of a bushel.

Ratl: A unit of weight approximately equal to one pound.

Uqiya: A unit of weight equal to one-twelfth of a ratl.

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Alquerques: Checkers.

Bazaar: Persian term for a city marketplace. The Arabic equivalent is souk.

Dutar: A two-stringed guitar.

Eid: A feast or festival.

Hammam: A public bath house, or a private bath such as sometimes found in the homes of the wealthy.

Hashish: A concentrated form of hemp, used as a drug.

Hookah: A pipe for smoking, in which a long flexible tube draws the smoke through water in a bowl or vase and cools it, producing a smoother taste.

Qat: A mild drug, which acts initially as a stimulant and later as a depressant.

Quaita: A reed instrument.

Rawi: A professional storyteller. Also rawun.

Saluka: A swift hunting dog.

Shah-mat: Chess (from the Persian for "The king is dead").

Souk: Arabic term for a city marketplace, equivalent to the Persian bazaar.

Tambour: A musical instrument similar to a tambourine.

USEFUL EXPRESSIONS

"Afwan": "Exemption," the Arabic equivalent of "You're welcome" or "Don't mention it."

"Aleikum as-salaam": Proper response to the traditional greeting, "as-Salaam aleikum". It means roughly "And upon you the peace."

"Al-Hamdu lillah": Proper response to "Kaif Halaq" ("How are you?"). Literally it means "Praise be to God." For a more concrete reply, "bi-khayr" ("well" or "fine") may be added before or after this phrase.

"Allah Karim": An expression of gratitude at good fortune, meaning "God is all-beneficent."

"Allahu Akbar": "God is most great"; a shout of praise used as a battle cry by Muslim warriors.

"Ashkuraq": Arabic equivalent of "Thank you." The proper response is "afwan."

"Bali": A word meaning "Yes."

"Bilhana": "Wishing you joy," an expression used in greetings and leavetakings.

"Bilshifa": "Wishing you health," another expression used in greetings and leavetakings.

"Bismillah": "In the name of God"; used as a minor blessing or invocation to avert evil influences.

"Inshallah": "If God be willing," used when announcing plans for the future.

"Kaif Halaq": Arabic equivalent of "How are you?" The proper response is "al-Hamdu lillah."

"Makhol": An expression of agreement ("Right," "That's correct").

"Min fadlaq": Arabic equivalent of "please." Literally means "From your kindness."

"Salaam": "Peace," a common minor blessing, generally accompanied by a bow of respect (which is also called a salaam).

"as-Salaam aleikum": Traditional greeting, "Peace be upon you." The proper response is "Aleikum as-salaam."

"Tfaddal": "If you please," a generalized polite expression used when offering something to someone, when motioning someone to go ahead of you, or when inviting someone in.

"Ya Allah": An expression of shock, dismay, or horror, roughly equivalent to "Oh, my God."